- Gaudentius of Brescia
:"Saint Gaudentius" redirects here. For the bishop of Novara, see
Gaudentius of Novara . For the beatified bishop ofGniezno , seeRadim Gaudentius " Infobox Saint
name= Saint Gaudentius
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death_date=410 AD
feast_day=October 25
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
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birth_place= Brescia
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issues=Saint Gaudentius (d. 410 AD) ( _it. San Gaudenzio di Brescia) was
Bishop of Brescia from 387 until 410, and was atheologian and author of many letters and sermons. He was the successor of Saint Philastrius.Gaudentius had studied under Philastrius, and was a preacher in
Italy and theMiddle East . When Philastrius died around 387, the people of Brescia elected Gaudentius as bishop –evidently against his will. He was onpilgrimage toJerusalem when Philastrius had died. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ] The "Catholic Encyclopedia " states that “the people ofBrescia bound themselves by an oath that they would accept no other bishop than Gaudentius; andSt. Ambrose and other neighboring prelates, in consequence, obliged him to return, though against his will. The Eastern bishops also threatened to refuse himCommunion if he did not obey.” [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]He was consecrated by Saint Ambrose in 387. A record of the discourse made by Gaudentius on the occasion of his consecration survives. Gaudentius reported upon his consecration that he had brought back with him from the
Holy Land relics ofSaint John the Baptist , theApostles , relics of saints fromMilan , and of theForty Martyrs of Sebaste . The nieces ofSaint Basil had given him the relics of the Forty Martyrs atCaesarea in Cappadocia . [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ] He deposited these relics in a basilica that he named "Concilium Sanctorum", and wrote a sermon upon its dedication. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]Writings
Twenty-one
tractate s attributed to Gaudentius survive. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ] Gaudentius also wrote many pastoral letters. Ten of his sermons have survived. [ [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintg25.htm Patron Saints Index: Saint Gaudentius ] ]His Easter sermons were written down at the request of the Brescian nobleman Benivolus, who had been too ill to listen to Gaudentius speak. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]
Defense of Saint John Chrysostom
Gaudentius and
Saint John Chrysostom were friends; the two may have met atAntioch . [“From a letter ofSt. Chrysostom ("Ep". clxxxiv) to Gaudentius it may be gathered that the two had met atAntioch .” http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm]Gaudentius joined a delegation in 405 sent by
Innocent I and Honorius to defend Chrysostom. The delegation was sent to speak with theEastern Emperor Arcadius to defend Chrysostom after the latter had been accused by the member of what was considered aheretic sect, and exiled. [ [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintg25.htm Patron Saints Index: Saint Gaudentius ] ]Gaudentius and his companions, two bishops, encountered many difficulties and never reached their goal of entering
Constantinople . At the start of their journey Gaudentius and his two companions had been seized atAthens . They were sent toConstantinople , a journey of three days on a ship without food.However, they were not allowed to enter the city, and were imprisoned in the fortress of Athyra, in
Thrace . [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]An attempt to bribe them into speaking with
Archbishop Atticus of Constantinople , the man who had replaced Chrysostom, failed, but one of the thumbs of the three travelers was broken during a scuffle in which Byzantine officials had seized the bishops’ credentials by force. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]Gaudentius and his two companions were then put on board an
unseaworthy vessel; it was alleged that the ship’s captain had orders to wreck them. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]The travelers arrived safely, however, at
Lampsacus . They departed for Italy and arrived atOtranto after twenty days. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ] Despite the failure of the mission, Chrysostom sent a letter of thanks to Gaudentius. [ [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintg25.htm Patron Saints Index: Saint Gaudentius ] ]Palladius of Galatia preserved an account by Gaudentius of his four month adventure ("Dialogus", 4). [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06393c.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gaudentius ] ]Veneration
Gaudentius's relics were kept at Brescia in the San Giovanni on the site of the "Concilium Sanctorum".
Gaudentius was depicted in altar-pieces by painters of Brescia, including Moretto,
Savoldo , andRomanino .References
External links
* [http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/30_10_0370-0430-_Gaudentius_Brixiae_Episcopus.html Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina]
*it icon [http://santibeati.it/dettaglio/75100 San Gaudenzio di Brescia]
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